Walk in the Light

April 24, 2026

April 24th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Hosea 3-4

Highlight Verses:

“Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.” So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.”
‭‭Hosea‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did I mention that Hosea is – umm – unique?

Notice that verse 1 uses the present tense.

She was actively committing adultery.

Given the fact that he had to buy her back, it appears that she managed to get herself bound into slavery.

Make no mistake – she got herself into this situation.

But now she was trapped.

She needed help to get out of the situation.

We humans blow it regularly.

We get ourselves trapped into addiction or debts of various types.

We cannot get out on our own.

We need help.

God is ready and willing.

So are many of His followers.

Just ask!

Have you been trapped in any type of slavery (like addiction, etc)?
How did you get out?
If you are trapped now, what’s keeping you from seeking help to get free?
April 23, 2026

April 23rd, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – James 3

Highlight Verse:

“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.”
‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Prove it!

It’s so simple.

You don’t have to wax profound upon the intricacies of theology.

Just live an honorable life, doing good works with humility.

That will lead more people to the truth of Jesus than all the eloquent teachers combined.

It’s so simple that I will leave it at that today.

Is there someone whose honorable life has inspired you to live more honorably?
What are you doing to live honorably?
April 22, 2026

April 22nd, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Chronicles 10-12

Highlight Verse:

“The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jebus was an ideally defensible city. It had high walls around it and difficult terrain leading to it on 3 sides.

Even with Mount Moriah rising above the city, attackers from that direction would be exposed and driven away from the wall.

On top of that, the city had a source of water that would help them survive a siege.

The Jebusites had good reason to be confident in their safety.

But that very confidence caused them to overlook the fatal flaw in their defenses.

Their source of water, the Gihon Spring, allowed an advance party to sneak in and break through the defenses at the gate from the inside.

It is so easy to become overconfident as a believer.

We trust in our accomplishments and successes, even moral successes. That overconfidence leads us to let down our guard, allowing the enemy to infiltrate through areas we thought were good.

I’ve seen it in several pastors and ministry leaders.

They built walls of self-righteousness that hid the cracks that temptation and sin crept into.

By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late and their ministries came tumbling down.

A few, through humility and accountability, have been restored.

Most had their reputations crushed along with much of the positive results of their ministry.

No matter how successful or unfailingly moral we are, we would be wise to stay humble, realizing that we need to keep our guard up even when we are doing well.

Have you ever been blindsided by sin creeping in your life where you didn’t expect it?
How did you get through that situation?
April 21, 2026

April 21st, 2026
Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 24-25

Highlight Verses:

“The Lord said to Moses, “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I struggled with choosing a verse today, not because I couldn’t think of what to say about them, but because I had too much to say.

The Year of Jubilee and the Sabbath Years have much wisdom to apply to our lives today and I encourage you to look deeper into them.

But what stood out to me today was olive oil.

Not Popeye’s girlfriend but the oil from pressed olives.

Why would God be specific about what type of fuel to burn?

I decided to look into olive oil.
- When used as a fuel, it burns very cleanly, especially when refined and purified.
- When used in food, it was the healthiest type of oil available in that region.
- It can be made to burn for a long time.
- The purer it is, the brighter and cleaner it burns.
- – This serves as a metaphor to encourage pure living.
- – As purifying the oil takes greater effort, it symbolizes the effort required to purify one’s life.
- In practical terms, there was an abundance of olive trees in that region.
What does that mean for us?
- Purity takes great effort.
- That effort is worth it, giving off brighter, cleaner light to the world around us.
- The source for purity is abundant if we just take the time to find it.
- And in practical terms, God loves us enough to provide what is most healthy for us.
So, use that olive oil.

More importantly, seek purity.

It may be out of the scope of this verse but in the greater context of Scripture, you should understand that purity comes through trusting Jesus. It takes faith, but the work has already been done on the cross.

There is more to explore on this topic, but we will leave that for another day.

How do you seek purity in your life?
How has purity help you shine the light of the Gospel more brightly?
April 20, 2026

April 20th, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 16

Highlight Verse:

““If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I find it interesting that Jesus teaches this right after telling the parable of the “dishonest” steward.

Today’s highlight verse can certainly stand on its own.

But in context, it helps to dig a little deeper.

The steward was in charge of a rich man’s finances. In that position, he had the authority to manage those finances as he saw fit.

That included reducing what the rich man’s debtors owed him.

Jesus does not specify what the steward did to get fired but it wasn’t the debt reduction. Instead, the rich man complemented the steward on that.

It is apparent that the steward was not fired immediately or he would not have been able to reduce the debts. As steward, he had the right to adjust those debts.

Finally, the steward made no attempt to hide the debt adjustments, so he was not dishonest in that way.

Instead, he is complimented as being shrewd.

We are stewards of all the earthly goods and finances that come our way.

No matter how hard we worked for them, all our earthly treasures ultimately belong to God.

We should be handling them with that in mind, investing wisely and using wealth strategically to promote God’s will here on earth.

Our faithfulness and honesty here will lead to greater opportunity both here and in eternity.

Do you treat your wealth as yours alone or as God’s property that you have been trusted to steward?
How does your perspective on wealth change what you do with it?
April 19, 2026

April 19th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 22-23

Highlight Verses:

“Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s no secret that I don’t like alcohol.

I have tasted it and had whole glasses of wine in the distant past.

But it always makes me think of the bad things that my dad did when he was drunk.

He was a very nice, likable person when he was sober.

But I won’t even speak of the things he would do when he was drunk.

In the end, the alcohol (and tobacco smoke) had done such damage to his body that he was unable to fight the cancer that took his life.

He was just 3 years older than I am now when he passed and left a legacy of pain and poverty.

Ultimately, the guilt of his actions kept him from accepting forgiveness from the God whom he finally recognized must exist.

I still hold out hope that the Gospel that I and others presented to him may have broken through in the end, though I will not know this side of heaven.

What I do know is that I have a very similar personality to his and if I were to start drinking, it is very possible that I would end up on that same path.

The Bible does not tell us to never drink alcohol.

But it does tell us not to pursue it or to get drunk.

I will never judge you for drinking.

But I will advise you to use great caution when it comes to alcohol or anything with similar effects.

And if it affects you adversely, well, I think you know what I would say.

Are you one who, like me, avoids alcohol? Why or why not?
If you drink, how are you checking the effects of it on you and those around you?
April 18, 2026

April 18th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Acts 9:32-42

Highlight Verse:

“Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda.”

‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭9‬:‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My very first CD player back in 1985 was portable.

At this moment, I am listening to a CD on it after managing to get it working again.

I bought a portable player because I loved to travel and having my tunes with me was essential.

The love of travel and discovering new places and people has always been a big part of my personality.

Even this summer, I have a big road trip planned.

In today’s reading, it looks like Peter loved road trips too.

His adventures went way beyond discovering new places.

Wherever he went, He brought the Gospel.

The simple act of sharing the Gospel brought all sorts of adventures.

In this chapter, his adventures included healing and resurrection.

As a result, two people were returned to physical health and many from the towns of Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa found new life in Jesus!

I’ll be honest and say that I don’t expect to heal or resurrect anyone this summer, but I intend to be bold in my faith and where people are receptive, I intend to openly share the Gospel.

I’m no Peter or Paul, but I serve the same God. If He is willing to use me during my travels, I am willing to let Him.

Whether I am traveling or staying home, I am excited to see what God can do.

How has God used you in your travels?

What do you do to make yourself available to be used by God?
Friday – Prophets

April 17th, 2026

Reading – Hosea 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.””
‭‭Hosea‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hosea is one of the more unique prophets.

His name means “salvation.”

But that’s not what sets him apart.

It was his incredible obedience.

Let’s be frank, I don’t think I would have been obedient to that call.

Maybe he thought he would rescue Gomer from her life of prostitution.

He didn’t.

It is implied that at least one of the children she bore was from prostitution.

That would have been heart breaking.

And then to be commanded to call his daughter “Not Loved” and his second son “Not Mine” would give him constant reminder of Gomer’s unfaithfulness.

And he would have a unique understanding of how God felt when the people of Israel were unfaithful.

A unique painful understanding.

Make sure you read all the way through today’s reading.

God granted new names for the kids.

“Not loved” became “Loved” and “Not mine” became “Mine.”

Likewise, God offered restoration to His people.

He still does today!

Have you felt like “Not Loved” or “Not Mine”?
Have you experienced betrayal like that?
Have you experienced restoration?
Why or why not?
April 16, 2026

April 16th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – James 2

Highlight Verse:

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I believe that if I work, I will get paid and be able to support my family.

Regardless of how earnestly I believe that, if I don’t work, I won’t get paid and I won’t support my family.

Here’s the catch. If I don’t work, I don’t really believe that first statement.

That seems quite straightforward.

But there are many who claim to believe in Jesus but completely ignore His instructions.

Is that really faith?

None of us are perfect. We will all fall short of God’s ideal for us.

But if our faith is real, we will act on it.

We will endeavor to follow what Jesus wants for us.

We may fall short of ideal, but we will do our best and then try to improve on that.

What do you do that shows that your faith is real?What can you change to take your faith a step further?
April 15, 2026

April 15th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Chronicles 7-9

Highlight Verse:

“In all, there were 212 gatekeepers in those days, and they were listed according to the genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed their ancestors because they were reliable men.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭9‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Chronicles is written from the perspective of the returned exiles.

There were 212 gatekeepers at that time.

A rotating group of 212 dedicated people protected all aspects of the temple, from human security to making sure all the items used for worship were kept safe.

They were the temple cops.

They were Levites, the tribe of priests but their role supported the priests who were directly responsible for worship.

There are many roles in today’s churches.

Many of those are behind the scenes.

In many churches, you will never know about the safety personnel deployed all around.

But they are there, prepared to risk their lives to protect their fellow worshippers.

If your church has a safety team, make sure you thank them for what they do.

If you are one of them – thank you for helping us worship without worry.

What other unseen people support your church?
What can you do to support them?
Have you considered being one of them?

Notice that verse 1 uses the present tense.

We cannot get out on our own.

Just ask!

It’s so simple.

Just live an honorable life, doing good works with humility.

That will lead more people to the truth of Jesus than all the eloquent teachers combined.

But that very confidence caused them to overlook the fatal flaw in their defenses.

It is so easy to become overconfident as a believer.

No matter how successful or unfailingly moral we are, we would be wise to stay humble, realizing that we need to keep our guard up even when we are doing well.

But what stood out to me today was olive oil.

I decided to look into olive oil.

More importantly, seek purity.

But in context, it helps to dig a little deeper.

We are stewards of all the earthly goods and finances that come our way.

Our faithfulness and honesty here will lead to greater opportunity both here and in eternity.

It’s no secret that I don’t like alcohol.

But I won’t even speak of the things he would do when he was drunk.

What I do know is that I have a very similar personality to his and if I were to start drinking, it is very possible that I would end up on that same path.

But I will advise you to use great caution when it comes to alcohol or anything with similar effects.

I bought a portable player because I loved to travel and having my tunes with me was essential.

His adventures went way beyond discovering new places.

As a result, two people were returned to physical health and many from the towns of Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa found new life in Jesus!

I’m no Peter or Paul, but I serve the same God. If He is willing to use me during my travels, I am willing to let Him.

Hosea is one of the more unique prophets.

That would have been heart breaking.

“Not loved” became “Loved” and “Not mine” became “Mine.”

Here’s the catch. If I don’t work, I don’t really believe that first statement.

But there are many who claim to believe in Jesus but completely ignore His instructions.

But if our faith is real, we will act on it.

They were the temple cops.

Many of those are behind the scenes.

If your church has a safety team, make sure you thank them for what they do.